Rondo?

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by iggymcfly

Yes, we're way below average on defense and rebounding, but we're also at previously unseen historically good levels in terms of offensive efficiency so it balances out. Right now, the power rankings derived from the betting lines have us as the 2nd best team in the entire league on a day-to-day basis behind Golden State:
http://stats.inpredictable.com/rankings/nba.php

If we improve at all from the players getting time together on defense, and learning how to cover each other on rotations, we're absolutely a contender to win the title. Probably have the best-looking team we've had going into the playoffs since the year we had 67 wins and the 1 seed.

You really put an awful lot of stock in those betting lines, don't you? I don't. I tend to agree with the other posters who have the Mavs pegged as a 2nd round team at best.

If you're expecting the Mavs to get any better on defense as the season goes on, I think you're in for a big disappointment. I reiterate- our problems have nothing to do with chemistry or time. No amount of time together is going to make this a better defensive team. We lack size and ability. Not chemistry.

[Five-ofan]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

You really put an awful lot of stock in those betting lines, don't you? I don't. I tend to agree with the other posters who have the Mavs pegged as a 2nd round team at best.

If you're expecting the Mavs to get any better on defense as the season goes on, I think you're in for a big disappointment. I reiterate- our problems have nothing to do with chemistry or time. No amount of time together is going to make this a better defensive team. We lack size and ability. Not chemistry.

I think we are basically on the same page(though I'm not sure about how much I think rondo helps) no team starting the worst defensive pg in the league, a bad defensive 2 who's a midget, an averageish defensive 3, and a bad defensive 4(he got to be pretty darn good during his prime but his d has gone to hell in his old age) is going to be good defensively.